For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680 discloses a conventional sample analyzer for transporting a sample rack holding a plurality of sample containers, and analyzing the samples in the sample containers.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680 discloses an automatic analyzer which transports a sample rack via a sampler, and measures a standard sample held in the sample rack. This automatic analyzer processes the data of the standard samples and prepares a calibration curve.
When measuring the standard sample and preparing the calibration curve, a plurality of standard samples are usually held in the sample rack according to the order of their concentration, and measurements are performed in the sequence of the concentrations as in the automatic analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680. During this measurement, it is sometimes necessary to measure more standard samples than can be held in a single sample rack. When containers accommodating standard samples are held in a plurality of sample racks, there is concern that the user may mistake about the order of the positions of the sample racks in the sampler. In this case, the order in which the standard samples are measured may not be correct, resulting in concern that an accurate calibration curve cannot be prepared.
When measuring standard samples that number fewer than the number of container supporters of a single sample rack, however, the containers accommodating the standard samples may be placed non-continuously in the sample rack so as to have empty space therebetween. In this case, aspiration abnormalities may occur when sample cannot be aspirated from a container supporter that does not hold a standard sample, and a calibration curve cannot be properly prepared. There is also concern of increasing complexity of the controls related to the measurements in order to properly measure the standard samples.